It's down to the wire in CRR women's competition

While Roger Hopper has long since clinched his fourth consecutive Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix title for the men, the women’s overall Grand Prix title is still up for grabs, between Jamestown High junior Sorenna Jean, 16, of Williamsburg, and defending champion and Tabb High cross country coach Emily Honeycutt, 27, of Newport News.

Just two races remain, of 23 total in the 2018 competition: the Dec. 2 Christmas Town Dash 8K at Busch Gardens, and the Dec. 8 Sentara Sleighbell 5K.

Last Saturday, the Knights Quest Warhill 8K Run was held on the Warhill Nature Trail loop with an out-and-back on the bike path to Longhill Road, with the finish next to WISC in the Warhill Sports Complex. The 8K, along with a one mile fun run, was organized by race director Kurt Weidman and the Peninsula Catholic cross country team, to fund scholarships for the school.

Jean won the 4.97-mile race in 35:34 (breaking Nina Parziale’s age 15-19 race record of 37:41 from 2017), more than a half minute ahead of Honeycutt and her 36:10 (Honeycutt had won the 2017 race in a 25-29 age group record of 35:15). Kim Decker, 37, of Williamsburg was third overall in 37:33.

The women’s course record is an impressive 30:31 by former William and Mary runner Kathleen Lautzenheiser of Midlothian, who was the overall winner of the 2014 Warhill 8K, men and women combined.

For the men, Victor Flemming, 39, of Carrollton won in a course record 27:46, smashing by 2 ½ minutes the previous mark of 30:14 by Dusten Conti, 17, of West Point, in the 2016 race. Flemming, the 2014 CRR Grand Prix men’s champion (the last winner before Hopper’s reign), also broke the men’s 35-39 race record.

Andrew Osborne, 24, of Yorktown, was second overall in 28:15, himself two minutes under the old race record (and setting a men’s 20-24 age group record). Logan St. John, 24, of Newport News, was third overall in 30:46.

Also under 32 minutes, in fourth through seventh overall, were John Piggott, 53, of Williamsburg (30:58), Jason Miller, 41, of Williamsburg (31:15), Greg Lynn, 44, of Hayes (31:45) and Paul Pelletier, 53, of Williamsburg (32:15).

Johnathan Mummert, 13, of Yorktown, an eighth grader at Peninsula Catholic, ran a fast 34:58 and broke the race age 14-and-under record of 35:49 by Andrew Denny, then age 13, of Williamsburg at the 2014 Warhill race (Denny was Jamestown High’s No. 2 cross country runner this year).

The other race age group records broken were by Cannon Jean, 13, of Williamsburg (Sorenna’s younger sister and a freshman at Jamestown) for women 14-and-under (40:29), and, at the other end of the age spectrum, by Roswitha Goosens-Winter, 70, of Williamsburg (women 70-74, 54:07) and by Ernest Schillinger, 87, of Williamsburg (men 80-and-over, 1:06:25).

On an age-graded basis, as compiled by CRR statistician Jim Gullo, Flemming edged out Piggott, 80.19% to 80.02%, both above the national-class level of 80%.

Bettering the regional standard of 70% were Pelletier (77.01%), fourth overall female Karla Havens, 56, of Plainview (38:44, 76.07%), Osborne (75.04%), Lynn (72.82%), Miller (72.32%), Greg Dawson, 53, of Williamsburg (34:51, 71.27%) and Sorenna Jean (70.02%). Dawson still has the race age group marks for men 45-49 (30:57 in 2014) and men 50-54 (30:29 in 2017).

The current Grand Prix standings for the men has Hopper leading with 133 points, followed by Miller (120), Lynn (83), Robert Whitaker (66) and Ryan Doupe (60), although the official point totals will be determined by the maximum 12 best races.

That 12-race rule will be a key factor for the women’s overall Grand Prix title as Sorenna Jean, after the Warhill 8K, has 107 total points, but that’s in 14 races, and drops down to 100 points in her 12 best races.

Honeycutt has 103 points, but that’s in exactly 12 races, so her official point total remains the same, and she leads Jean by three points. That may change though, after the final two races of 2018.

For the year, Honeycutt has won five CRR races (WISC Mad Dash, Vineyards, Crapolfest, World Class Freedom Run and Governor’s Land) while Sorenna Jean has won two (Powhatan Creek Trail and Saturday’s Warhill). Head-to-head (the first tiebreaker if the total points end in a tie) has Honeycutt leading, 6-4.

For best times, Jean has run a 20:15 (at the Jamestown Swamp Run 5K) compared to Honeycuttt’s 20:35 (at the Vineyards 5K).

For the 8K distance, Honeycutt’s best is 34:09 (a lifetime PR at the World Class Freedom Run) compared to Jean’s 35:09 at the Toano Icy 8K.